Toilet case with a spring actuated cover



Aug. 25, 1959 E.'K. RENZ ETA!- TOILET CASE WITH A SPRING ACTUATED COVER Filed Jan. 14, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 m K. Pa/z,+ 6 Mame BY 525K15 ZZ OLF 7mg ATTGQMK Aug. 25, 1959 E. K. RENZ ET AL 2,901,017

TOILET CASE WITH A SPRING ACTUATED COVER Filed Jan. 14, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

United Sttes Patent Office 2,901,017 Patented Aug. 25, 1959 TOILET CASE WITH A SPRING ACTUATED COVER Emil K. Renz, Dedham, and George Miller, Wellesley,

Mass., assignors to Knight Leather Products, Inc., Jamaica Plain, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application January 14, 1957, Serial No. 633,915

6 Claims. (Cl. 150-3) The present invention relates to flexible cases particularly adapted for use in toilet cases and more particularly to an improvement in the design of cases which are opened at the top with the upper portion of the side walls forming the cover elements.

Still further the present invention relates to an improved structure over our prior patent application, Serial Number 433,019, filed May 28, 1954, which matured into Patent 2,783,838, issued March 5, 1957, and the other patent application therein mentioned.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a case of relatively soft flexible material, such as leather, in which cover elements are provided at the top thereof and which has incorporated into the structure means for automatically raising the cover elements when released and holding these cover elements in an open position.

A further object of the present invention is to incorporate into the structure of a semi-collapsible case, having a pair of cover members, formed by the top portion of either side wall which close symmetrically together along a central longitudinal line, a spring construction in which the cover members will be tensioned to open outwardly when they are released and in which the members forming the spring elements are so positioned as not to interfere with the storage of elements within the case or with the ability of the case to be collapsed.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a structure in which the spring members are so positioned and secured within the case as to avoid any likelihood of Wear and tear of the side walls of the case.

Another object in the present invention is to provide a case in which the side walls are of flexible material and are adapted to collapse and in which the spring means adapted to tension the cover members in an open position will not interfere with the collapsing of the case.

One more feature of the present invention is to provide a structure of the type described in which the spring members are secured to a frame which forms and defines the upper edges of the case and which serve as supporting means for the springs in such a manner as to avoid any likelihood of the springs interfering with the proper operation of the device.

These and other objects of the present invention will be more clearly understood when considered in connection with the description of the accompanying drawings in which,

Figure 1 shows a fragmentary perspective view of the invention with the case in an open position.

Figure 2 illustrates a fragmentary perspective view of a modification of the invention with the case in an open position, and,

Figure 3 illustrates a perspective view of the spring and frame arrangement as positioned within the case with the case shown in dotted outline.

The case of the present invention is formed of a flexible leather material or leather-like material having opposite side walls 1 and opposite end walls 2 with the side and end walls continuous with one another forming the vertical corners 3. The side and end walls are joined together at the bottom by a bottom member 4 which may be suitably stitched or otherwise secured to the side walls. The bottom may be covered if desired with a lining 5 substantially rectangular in shape and cemented or otherwise secured to bottom 4. Cover members opposite one another and indicated at 6 extend from the side walls and are continuous with it. These cover members are preferably formed of the continuation of the side walls 1 and extend around in continuous fashion with the end walls 2. The side walls and cover 6 are hinged together along a longitudinally extending hinged line 7 which defines the lower edge of the cover element and upper edge of the side wall members. This line 7 also defines the end walls 2 from the end portions of the cover 6. The end portions 8 of the cover 6 are merged together along a central section 9. If desired the side and end walls and the covers 6 may be formed of a single piece of material stitched at 10. The inner side of the covers 6 are lined along the length of the side walls 1 by a stiffening member such as the cardboard 11 which terminates at the corners 3. This stiffening member 11 is secured in place by the hem like [fold 13 formed preferably as a portion of the cover members 6 which portion 13 extend all about the cover members, around the sides and ends. The portion 13 may be secured by a plurality of stitching 15 which extends through the reinforcing member 11 to the cover 6 with the stitching 15 also securing the strip 16 of a slide fastener. The slide fastener 16 extends all about the outer free edges of cover 6. In the arrangement defined, the covers 6 are adapted to fold together and be secured at their free edges along a central longitudinal line by sliding the slide fastener 18. A reinforcing member 20 of rigid material such as steel is secured within the case and is formed in a rectangular shape. This reinforcing member 20 is secured at the hinge line 7 and defines the upper edges of the side and end walls 1 and 2 respectively. The reinforcing member 20 may be secured in position by any suitable means such as cementing or stitching a flap over the member. The preferable structure however is to secure this rigid frame 20 to the outer walls by cement means.

As illustrated in Figure 1 a spring member 21 is formed with a center longitudinally extending section 22 terminating at one end with an upwardly extending end section 23 and a downwardly extending end section at the other end indicated at 24. The center section 22 is secured to the inner side wall of the frame 20 by a pair of clamp sections 25 and 26. These clamp sections are formed of a rectangular piece of metal having a recessed longitudinal portion at the upper end adapted to receive the thickness of the center portion 22. These elements 25 and 26 are riveted as indicated at 27 or otherwise suitably secured to the side wall of the frame. The center section 22 is loosely contained within these clamp sections 25 and 26 to permit some freedom of rotation. The end sections 23 and 24 are formed with the section 23 adapted to bear against the reinforcing member 11 and the section 24 adapted to bear against the inner wall of the reinforcing member 20. The portion 23 is much longer than the portion 24 and is adapted to slide freely over the member 11 as the cover is opened or closed. These members 23 and 24 are so arranged as to tension the covers 6 toward an open position. Thus in the modification shown in Figure 1 the end portion 23 is in an outwardly tensioned position while the end portion 24 is tensioned against the inner wall of the reinforcing member 20. A similar second spring 50, having a center section 51 and continuous end sections 52 and 53, is secured by clamps .54 and 55 in a similar but overlapping mirror relation to spring 21 as is illustrated.

If desired a liner may be inserted within the case to cover the structure hereinbefore described.

In Figure 2 there is illustrated a modification of the invention in which the construction of the case is substantially similar to that illustrated in Figure 1. In this. arrangement, however, the spring structure is somewhat different from that illustrated in Figure 1. In the arrangement of Figure 2' spring means are formed at two diagonally opposite corners of the reinforcing member 20. Each spring means is similar to that illustrated in Figure 1. These means comprise two springs 30 and 31. Spring 30 is formed with a center section 32 and end sections 33. and 34.. End section 33 etxends normal to and upwardly from the center section 32 while end section 34 extends normal to and downwardly from section 32. The spring 30 is secured to the frame 20. at the side wall thereof by clamp member 35 formed of a rectangular sheet of metallic material suitably riveted at 36 to the side wall, and loosely engaging the center Section 32 in a recessed or grooved section 37. The downwardly extending portion 34 is secured in a clamp section 40 which is in turn secured by rivets or other suitable means to the end portion of the reinforcing member 20 in a manner similar to that described in connection with the clamp 35. The recess or groove portion 41 of this clamp is vertically arranged and secures not only the end portion34 but also the end portion 42 of the spring 31. The spring 31 has a center setcion 43 and an end section 44 in addition to the end section 42. The end section 44 extends upwardly in contact with the end of the cover 6 and is tensioned upwardly and outwardly so as to open or tend to open the cover. The end portion 42 extends downwardly in face contact with the rectangular frame 20 and bears against it. This spring 31 is secured to the end of the rectangular frame by the clamp 45 similar to the clamps previously described. In this arrangement the spring means located at diagonally opposite corners provides a structure in whichthe portions 33 and 44 substantially co-act to tension the cover in an upward position while the other ends of the springs 30 and 31 respectively, namely portions 34 and 42 bear against the frame 20 to provide the necessary torsional spring action to maintain or urge the covers to an opened position. In order to guide the portion 44 and maintain it in face contact with the end of the cover 6, a rivet 48 is secured to the end of the cover 6 with its inner ends turned over with one of these ends 49 loosely engaging the portion 44.

Having now described our invention, we claim:

1. A case having continuous flexible sidewalls, endwalls and bottom, means forming a pair of opposite cover members in the upper portions of the opposite sidewall members with longitudinal hinge lines along each sidewall member, a frame member of continuous rigid material having a cross sectional configuration substantially rectangular in shape and substantially fitted to said sidewalls and end walls at the upper ends thereof, torsional spring means each having torsional sections and a pair of end sections angular thereto with said torsional sections secured to and one end section of each spring means bearing against said frame member, with the other end section of each torsional spring means bearing against one of said cover members for tensioning said cover members toward a preselected position.

2. A case having continuous flexible sidewalls, endwalls and bottom, means forming a pair of opposite cover members in the upper portions of the opposite sidewall members with longitudinal hinge lines. along each sidewall member, said side and endwalls adapted to collapse whereby the height of the case may be lowered, a continuous rigid frame member fitted to said sidewalls and endwalls at the upper edges thereof having a height shorter than the height of the sidewalls and endwalls, torsional spring means each having torsional sections and a pair of end sections angular thereto with said torsional sections secured toand one end section ofeach spring means bearing against said frame member, with the other end section of each torsional spring means bearing against one of said cover members for tensioning said cover members toward a preselected position.

3. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein one of said end sections bears against the portion of the cover member in an area adjacent an endwall.

4. In a case having continuous flexible sidewalls, end- Walls and bottom, means forming a pair of opposite cover members in the upper portions of the opposite sidewall members with longitudinal hinge lines along each sidewall member, said cover members adapted to close together along a central longitudinal line, means for ten sioning said covers to an open position comprising a fiat strip of rigid material bent to form a rectangular frame substantially fitted and secured to the side and endwalls, torsional spring means each having torsional sections secured longitudinally of said strip and end sections with one end section bearing against the width of said frame and the other section normally bearing against the inner surface of one of said cover members.

5. Adevice as set forth in claim 1, wherein said frame member has four sides forming a rectangle and said torsional spring means comprises a pair of torsional springs, an end section of each torsional spring bearing against said frame member at a corner thereof, with the other of said end sections bearing one each against the cover members adjacent the side and end of said frame member.

6. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said frame member has four sides forming a rectangle and said torsional spring means comprises a pair of torsional springs, said torsional sections of one spring bearing against one side of said frame and said torsional section of the other spring bearing against an end of said frame adjacent said side of the frame.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,982,845 Wagrnan Dec. 4, 1934 2,346,563 Doppelt Apr. 11, 1944 2,561,042 Arnold et al. July 17, 1951 2,634,836 Warren Apr. 14, 1953 2,640,520 Miller et al. June 2, 1953 2,730,153 Miller et al. Jan. 10, 1956 2,783,808 Renz et a1. Mar. 5, 1957 

